Open bootloader for Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 realized

If you have been planning on picking up a Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone on Verizon Wireless, you are probably aware of the shenanigans going on right now with regards to the locked bootloader that has greeted shocked owners who have already received their device.

Unlike other carriers in the US stocking Samsung’s new flagship phone, Verizon has decided that consumers are going to get a locked bootloader with their version of the S3, but luckily, Samsung has come to your rescue it seems. In an interesting move, the Korean giant has just announced the Galaxy S3 Developer Edition, which you’ll be able to buy direct from Samsung, with an open bootloader.

Samsung has revealed that this Developer Edition will cost $599 to buy and it will feature the exact same specs as the Verizon’s version, so you’ll still be getting 2GB of RAM and that Snapdragon S4 dual core processor. The difference though is the open bootloader and it now means that consumers have the option of whether they want to customize their device by paying a lump sum for the Galaxy S3 direct from Samsung.

The phone will still be compatibile with Verizon’s 4G LTE network, but the downside to this is that you don’t have a warranty and if anything goes wrong it is Samsung that you have to answer to, not Verizon. It looks like Big Red has thought long and hard about this move and you have to say that it is nice that Samsung has at least provided this option for consumers.

What do you think about this? Are you still disappointed with Verizon for their stance on locked bootloaders when all other carriers allow it? More importantly, will you be paying Samsung $599 for this privilege? The Developer Edition will be available over the next few months.

Looks like the dedicated modders out there are already well into fixing this call by Verizon, so I don’t know how successful the developer phone will be. Very nice of Samsung to find that option though. Really surprised Verizon is willing to risk the continued bad publicity. Maybe they’ve gotten too big?